Barrier High
by ShawnLassiter56
Summary: Marius is the king of Barrier High, and Eponine is the queen. Cosette is new and lost in the big school. Maybe a kind stranger like Marius will provide the help she needs to survive...
1. A Change of Scenery

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables.**

**A/N: I love Les Miserables to death (heeheehee) so I thought I would mess around with it in a modern setting: high school. It's going to be cheesy, I'll just say that now, and I promise I'll give Eponine more direction after this chapter. From Cosette's POV. Enjoy and review! **

Dad warned me about this. I've been dreading it for weeks, and it's as terrifying as I imagined it to be: a school cafeteria. I've been homeschooled my whole life, so this is the first time I've ever seen a real one. It's just like in the movies, every clique at its table, nowhere for the new girl to sit. At the best table (furthest from the garbage and closest to the salad bar) sat the popular kids. The academic decathlon team sat in the corner with textbooks and bag lunches. The stoners lay outside on the grass, joints in hand. The point is, there was nowhere for me sit. Bathroom it is.

I turned around and instantly ran into Marius Pontmercy. I had done my research (thank god for Instagram) this last week, and I knew every face that mattered. And this one mattered. And I had just dumped meatballs on his lacrosse jersey. Great.

"Watch where you're going, klutz." A small girl that stood beside him spat at me.

"Leave her alone, Ponine." Marius gave her a look that told me it wasn't the first time she had lashed out at someone like me. He turned to face me. "You all right?"

"I'm fine." I said quietly. "Are you all right?"

He nodded. "Let's clean you up." I started to protest, but he silently pointed at my yellow sundress, which had become an unfortunate shade of orange. I groaned and allowed him to pull me to the bathrooms. I could feel the girl he had called Ponine watching us.

Marius started to take me into the boys room. "But I can't—"

He cut me off. "No worries. You're not the first girl a guy's snuck in here." He grinned. I nodded like I had heard a million comments like that from cute boys my age. In reality, Marius was the first one I had ever spoken to.

"Why haven't I seen you before?" he looked up from his hand-washing.

"This is my first day. I was homeschooled up until now."

"Why stop in the middle of sophomore year?"

"I wanted a change of scenery." That was the understatement of the century. I couldn't stand being cooped up in that big house in the middle of nowhere, with only Dad for company.

"What do you think of it all?"

"Of what all?"

"Barrier High."

I said the first thing that popped into my mind. "It's huge. And loud. And no one's very nice. But you're nice. You're the first nice person I've met here."

He grinned at me in that way again, the way that tied my stomach in knots, good knots. I loved that grin. "It's an honor, miss—"

"Cosette. Cosette Valjean." I curtsied a little.

He laughed and gave me a bow. "Marius Pontmercy."

I looked up at him and suddenly couldn't remember how to form words. "I know. I mean—we have Math together." Good save.

"I'll see you around, Miss Cosette Valjean."

And so it began.


	2. The Taming of Enjolras

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables. Eponine's POV.**

This must be a joke. She didn't even recognize me. After everything that happened, how could she not? But I know it was her. Cosette, all grown up, with nice clothes and lip gloss and a last name. She was like an alien, but it was her. She had the same innocent wide blue eyes that made my mom hate her, the same shiny blonde hair. She's still perfect. God knows Marius thought so.

My family's poor. I'm not ashamed to say it; it's just a fact of my life. I can't afford to look like Cosette. My parents are irresponsible and flighty drunks. I live with my brother, Gavroche. A long time ago, we all lived together, like a family. Then, my parents got arrested. That changed everything. I started taking care of Gavroche, I got a job and my foster sister got taken away. I never knew what happened to her. Until today.

I'm jogging through the school, trying to get to the middle school before they kick Gavroche out again and make him wait in the snow. All his teachers treat him like dirt because our parents swindled so many of them. These forty-something "responsible adults" blame a 13 year old for his idiotic parents' actions. He doesn't complain, but I know. I have to take Gav home, get the café and finish my hours for the week, tutor Enjolras at 6 and then online-stalk Cosette until I figure out her deal. Jesus, aren't teenage girls supposed to get drunk on Friday nights?

Suddenly a hand grabs me. a hand that belongs to Principle Javert. Great.

"Eponine Thenardier." He spits my last name. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to run in the halls?" he smiles snidely, like he's won some great battle.

I match his sickly sweet stare. "Didn't listen then, not listening now." I break back into my run. Last time I was late, Gav got a cold. I promised I wouldn't let that happen again. I'm mom and dad combined; I have to pick up my own slack.

My brain's coming back to Cosette. More specifically, the way Marius looked at her. After she was gone, he asked me to find her for him. When I teased him, he offered me money. Who does that? He's such a clueless little jerk, sometimes I just want to slap him. But I can't. I love him too much.

"The square root of 64 is?"

"8." Enjolras snapped. "I know square roots, Ponine. I don't need tutoring." He stares at me with puppy dog eyes that could start and end a revolution, I swear. He's Marius's best friend, and one of mine. I love him dearly, but sometimes he's a little too proud.

"Mr. Foreman says you do."

"Since when do you listen to Mr. Foreman?"

I looked up and stared at him. "Since he started grading the tests that determine if I go to college." Enjolras lives in the moment with admirable determination, but his foresight suffers. He has no problem burning bridges that he knows he needs in the heat of the moment.

"If that's the way you want your life to be..." he trails off.

I can't help but laugh. "Stop being cool. Start doing math." I thrust a worksheet at him. He laughs a little.

"Who's the new girl?"

I jump a little. "Probably another one of those skanks that got wrapped up in some scandal and had to get out of Paris before Daddy notices the money's gone." I realize how harsh it is as soon as I say it.

Enjolras, being Enjolras, jumps to defend her. "I thought she was pretty. Nothing like you, of course, but still..."

I blush. "Work!" I can't stop a smile.

"Ooh, mean teacher, I like it. I've been bad, Ms. Thenardier, I think I need to be put in my place!" I start laughing deliriously.

"Work, you naughty boy!" with a slap on the wrist, I turn to get snacks. I wished I loved a boy like Enjolras. Well, I take that back. He's Barrier's resident heartbreaker. Wouldn't want to get involved with that. But still, every girl needs an Enjolras. Even me.


	3. Questions and Cafes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables. This is Eponine's POV again because I wanted to show a little more of what her life is like. Reviews make my day!**

"Ponine! Ponine!" a shrill voice was following me through the school. I kept expecting it to give up, but I just got louder. Under typical circumstances, I would yell back at it, but this shrill voice is rather close to my heart.

I gave up. "What?" The little blonde girl I turned to face crashed into me. She did it in such a cute way, I just wanted to scream.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I just—I wanted to ask you something."

She's looking right at me and has no clue who I am. She hasn't gotten sharper. "What?" I met her wide blue eyes with steady brown ones.

"I don't know if you remember who I am, I'm the girl who accidentally spilled food on your friend Marius. Anyway, I just wanted to ask—I hope this isn't rude—does he have a girlfriend?"

Is she serious? She could actually not be pissing me off more if she was trying to. Part of me wanted to lie and say he did so she would back off, but everyone knows Marius is single. He's too...Marius for a relationship. Not that girls haven't tried, but he's sweetly let them all down. If I lie to Cosette, her second opinion will render it useless.

I glare into her cheerful demeanor. "No. He's single." That doesn't mean available, you little whore.

She seemed to think otherwise. She grinned and giggled. "No, really? Oh, thank you, Ponine!" And then, I swear to god, she skipped away.

Speak of the devil. "Eponine!" Marius and Enjolras jog towards me. "M'lady." They both kissed my hand, which was standard greeting when they were in good moods. Or horny. Or both.

"Gentlemen." I curtsy a little. "What brings fine fellows such as thou to humble Eponine?"

Enjolras grinned at me in that combines sexy and mischievous with a sweet 10 year old. "Got a ruler on you, Miss Thenardier? I think I need to be punished." Marius looks at him likes he's sprouted exactly 72 heads. "Tell you later."

"What did Cosette want?" her name gives me a start.

I try to seem light about it. "Oh, she just wanted to know if you had a girlfriend. Cute, right?" The look of happiness on his face just pisses me off further.

"You said no, right?" I nod. "You know how you love me sooo much you'd do anything for me?"

Little he knows. "Possibly. What did you have in mind?"

"Find out more about Cosette. I just-I need to know more about her. Please?"

I laugh, making sure he doesn't see me flinch. "And what'll you do for me, Monsieur Marius?" he reaches in his pocket. Oh. My. God. Really? "No, I don't want money." I say quietly.

He doesn't notice my face. "So, you will?"

I can't say no. "Fine. I'll try."

He grabs me and kisses both cheeks. "Bless you, my little Ponine! I love you, I love you, I love you!" Him and Enjolras run away, leaving me alone in the crowded hall.

"I love you, too."

"Darling Eponine!" my boisterous boss swirls me through the café to the counter.

"Dearest Grantaire!" He picks me up and plops me on the counter. As usual, he held my hand in his right, his bottle in his left.

"Ma cherie, did Feuilly teach you how to make the new pumpkin latte?" I nod. "Alright. I'll be in my office.

The ABC Café, my workplace of five years, was my second home. My boss, Grantaire, was the father my own father was seemingly incapable of being. My coworkers, Feuilly, Combeferre, and Joly are absolutely my family. I can't imagine life without the ABC.

The café is my sanctuary from the trials and travails of high school. I love escaping immature high school boys (including Marius and Enjolras) and being with my coworkers. I turn to Joly for advice, Combeferre for reality checks, and Feuilly for fans. He makes a kickass fan. And when it all goes wrong, Grantaire's strong shoulder and stronger liquor are my saviors. What more could a girl need?


	4. Spiderweb

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables. Enjolras's POV. This is so short, I know, but I just wanted to break down what's going along and give a peek into where the stories going.**

Well, this is a damn mess.

I've gotten myself caught in the nastiest of spider webs, but, truth be told, I don't really want out. At least, not right now. Let me try to explain the ridiculousness of my current situation: I love Eponine, Eponine loves Marius, Marius loves Cosette. And then there's Grantaire, who I think is into me but I'm not quite sure. He could just be a flirt. But he seems like he likes me, so I don't really have any clue what's going on.

My life is 7th grade all over again, who likes who, who doesn't like who, who's trying to manipulate who. I'm just in the middle of it all; praying that Eponine will see what's going on and give up on Marius. He's my best friend, but he's beyond oblivious. Eponine literally walks around quietly moping and mumbling his name. He needs to wake up and make a choice, reject Eponine or date her. To be honest, I'm hoping for the former. Not that I want her to get hurt. I think, in the long run, the latter will hurt her more. Marius will hump her and dump her. I'll love her. Simple as that.

Eponine is absolutely my perfect woman. The way she sees the world is fresh and real. She's been treated badly and she knows it, but not in a pitiful way. It's just how it is. She's tougher than anyone at Barrier, anyone in Paris. She's a kickass girl, mothering Marius and I and the boys at the café with no mother of her own.

This sounds terrible, but I hate Marius for the way he's handling this. She's throwing away her high school life on him, and he's just letting her. It's wrong.

And I'm gonna do something about it.


End file.
